Clever Homemaking

Forget the harsh chemicals. You can clean your home by using a lemon!

Photo by Chugy

1. Clean your appliances

• To clean your microwave, place a cut lemon in a bowl of water. Microwave the bowl for a couple of minutes. Remove the bowl and wipe down the inside of your microwave.
• To clean your refrigerator, take the lemon you used to clean your microwave, and stick it in your refrigerator while it is still hot. (This is a great way to clean those veggie drawers!) After wiping down your microwave, wipe down your refrigerator.
• To clean your disposal, place a cut lemon into the disposal and turn on.
• To clean your dishwasher, use some squeezed lemon juice instead of detergent in an empty dishwasher.
• To clean your ceramic stove top, spray with lemon water. For tough stains, squeeze lemon into baking soda to make an abrasive paste.

2. Remove rust, lime, or calcium deposits.

• Cut a lemon in half and rub over build up area. For more abrasion, add salt to your lemon.

3. Disinfect

• Add lemon-water to a spray bottle and spray non-porous household surfaces.
• Add lemon to your favorite homemade cleaners.
• Add lemon to your dishwasher during the rinse cycle.
• Rub a lemon on cutting surfaces.

4. Remove mold and mildew.

• Squeeze a lemon in to some borax to make an abrasive cleaning paste.

5. Eliminate odor

• Clean surfaces that need deodorizing by spraying with a mixture of lemon water.
• Add lemon to vinegar-based cleaners for a refreshing smell.